Gin Blossoms released the follow-up album, “Congratulations, I’m Sorry,” in 1996 featuring the Top 10 single, “Follow You Down,” which peaked at No. 9. Despite the Top 40 success, the band broke up the following year. However, the group reformed in 2001 after a four-year break and has remained active.
Jesse Valenzuela (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Bill Leen (bass) have been with Gin Blossoms throughout the group’s existence. Robin Wilson (lead vocals, acoustic guitar) joined the group in 1988, followed by Scotty Johnson (lead guitar) in 1992. Scott Hessel (drums), one of many players to hold down that position, has been with the band since 2012.
The reformed Gin Blossoms released the albums “Major Lodge Victory” in 2006 and “No Chocolate Cake” in 2010. Several singles were released during this period, but none made it to the Hot 100. The group’s latest LP, “Mixed Reality,” came out in 2018.
Wilson recently answered some questions by telephone about his new home studio, the group’s recording plans and Gin Blossoms current tour with co-headliners Sugar Ray and special guests Tonic and Fastball.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Q: You’re bringing a stacked bill to Fraze Pavilion. It’s like a mini-music festival. Have you done this particular four-band bill before?
A: Not this particular lineup, but we’ve spent a lot of time with each of these bands on tour. This is the first time we’ve had this four-band lineup and, you’re right, it is a very deep bench. We’ve toured extensively with all three of these groups and these are my three favorite bands to tour with so I’m glad we got them all together for the next few weeks. We’re the only band on the bill that did not have a number one hit. We’re going to have to work really hard to hold up to our tourmates.
Q: What did you do to occupy your time off the road this summer?
A: I’ve recently been building a home recording studio and I was spending some time there with my son. But my time at home has been somewhat limited for the past few months. I’m in the process now of working with our marketing team to put together a video tour of my recording studio.
Q: Will that be a project studio for you, friends and family or a commercial studio to work with outside artists?
A: Well, I wouldn’t have any problem with that but I’m not going to be shopping it. I’m not going to be building a website or anything. If some projects trickle in just through word of mouth, that might be acceptable but I’m not pursuing that. I really just built it for myself and for my son. As soon as the tour is over, I’ve got to find time in the next five weeks to record a project there. I’m hoping to have the studio completely dialed in so I can put together my Halloween project.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Q: A Halloween project?
A: I did something a few years ago called Robin & the Last Rights. You can find that on our YouTube channel. I’m hoping to do a couple more songs this year with my Halloween band. I’ve got to get the studio finished and completely put together in terms of the wiring, et cetera. Then I’ve got to make the time and get the band in there so we can record. It will take us two or three days to record and then we’re going to want to make a couple of videos so I’m going to need to find about a five-day period where I can get all of that done. I am looking forward to it. We’re planning on doing a heavy metal version of a Sarah McLachlan song for this Halloween.
Q: Speaking of recording, it’s been a few years since ‘Mixed Reality’ came out. Do you see Gin Blossoms making another full-length collection of songs?
A: Yes, I’d love to have something in the can by next summer, but we’ll have to see. We’re independent now so it will be entirely on us to plan it, fund it and make the time. We’ll have to set aside the weeks or months it will take us to get it all written, rehearsed and recorded. We already have some songs ready to go so it is just a matter of time. Since we’re independent, there’s no one telling us to do it. It’s not really a lucrative proposition so we’d really just be doing it to satisfy ourselves as musicians and songwriters. We don’t really sell a lot of records anymore so it’s really just a matter of doing it because we feel a responsibility to ourselves to do it. My feeling and my hope are we’ll have something in the can by this time next year.
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
Who: Gin Blossoms and Sugar Ray with Tonic and Fastball
Where: Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering
When: Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.
Cost: $40.50 lawn & terrace, $53.50 orchestra and $58.50 plaza; ticket prices increase $5 day of show
More info: 937-296-3300 or www.fraze.com
Artist info: ginblossoms.net
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